Biological pesticide

Abstract

Methods for exterminating pests using compositions comprising at least one protease enzyme. A detergent component may also be utilized in such compositions.

1 . A method for exterminating pests comprising the steps of providing a composition comprising an enzyme component, said enzyme component comprising at least one protease, and said enzyme component in an amount of no more than 1% by weight of the composition, and a detergent component, and applying said composition to at least one pest, wherein said composition is in the form of an aqueous solution or suspension and said composition comprises at least one enzyme-containing fermentation product.  
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said enzyme-containing fermentation product comprises the product of yeast fermentation of a mixture comprising a simple sugar source, a starch source, and a magnesium salt.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein said sugar source comprises at least one of molasses, raw sugar, or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein said yeast fermentation is carried out by at least one organism selected from the group consisting of  Saccharomyces cerevisiae  strains,  Saccharomyces carlsbergensis  strains, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein said magnesium salt is magnesium sulfate.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said composition comprises about 10% to about 65% by dry weight of said enzyme-containing fermentation product.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein said composition comprises about 20% to about 50% by dry weight of said enzyme-containing fermentation product.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein said composition comprises about 25% to about 50% by dry weight of said enzyme-containing fermentation product.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein said composition comprises about 60% to about 99.5% by weight of water.  
     
     
         10 . A method for exterminating pests comprising the steps of providing a composition comprising an enzyme component, said enzyme component comprising at least one protease, and said enzyme component in an amount of no more than 1% by weight of the composition, and a detergent component, and applying said composition to at least one pest, wherein said composition further comprises at least one nitrogen source.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein said nitrogen source is selected from the group consisting of urea, ammonium sulfate, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein said composition comprises up to about 45% by dry weight of said nitrogen source.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein said composition comprises about 40% or less by dry weight of urea.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein said composition comprises about 1% to about 30% by dry weight of urea.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein said composition comprises about 5% to about 30% by dry weight of urea.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein said composition comprises about 10% to about 30% by dry weight of urea.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein said composition comprises about 30% or less by dry weight of ammonium sulfate.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein said composition comprises about 0.5% to about 30% by dry weight of ammonium sulfate.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein said composition comprises about 0.5% to about 20% by dry weight of ammonium sulfate.  
     
     
         20 . A method for exterminating pests comprising the steps of providing a composition comprising an enzyme component, said enzyme component comprising at least one protease, and said enzyme component in an amount of no more than 1% by weight of the composition, and a detergent component, and applying said composition to at least one pest, wherein said composition further comprises at least one of oils, extracts, or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein said oil, extract, or mixture thereof comprises an oil or extract of citronella, pine, cedarwood, sandalwood, wormwood, lemon grass, lemon or other citrus, lavender, eucalyptus, sassafras, neem tree, balsam, niaouli, cajeput, clove, cubeb, thyme, garlic, wintergreen, peppermint or other mint, American wormseed, Levant wormseed,  Juniperus  spp., or  Chrysanthemum  spp., etc.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein said composition comprises up to about 5% by weight of at least one of said oils, extracts, or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22  wherein said composition comprises about 0.1% to about 5% by dry weight of at least one of said oils, extracts, or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         24 . A method for exterminating pests comprising the steps of providing a composition comprising an enzyme component, said enzyme component comprising at least one protease, and said enzyme component in an amount of no more than 1% by weight of the composition, and a detergent component, and applying said composition to at least one pest, wherein said composition further comprises an alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, glycerin, borax, pest hormones, growth regulators, or their analogs, botanical pesticides, soluble or suspendable aluminum compounds in, or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24  wherein said pest hormone, growth regulator, or analog is selected from the group consisting of methyl 12,14-dihomojuvenate, methyl 12-homojuvenate, methoprene, hydropene, fenoxycarb, lufenuron, diflubenzuron, hexaflumuron, cyromazine, growth regulators, and analogs, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 24  wherein said botanical pesticide is selected from the group consisting of rotenone, ryanodine and other ryania extracts, sabadilla, hellebore, limonene, linalool, nicotene, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 24  wherein said soluble or suspendable aluminum compound is selected from the group consisting of aluminum-halogen compounds, aluminum-silicon compounds, aluminum hydroxides, aluminum-containing organic compounds, aluminum-carbonate compounds, aluminum-phosphorous compounds, aluminum-sulfates and alums, aluminates, aluminum-nitrate compounds, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27  wherein said aluminum-containing organic compound is selected from the group consisting of aluminum carboxylates of the formula Al(OH) 3-n (R) n  wherein n is 1, 2, or 3, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 24  wherein said soluble or suspendable aluminum compound is selected from the group consisting of AlCl 3 , AlCl 3 (H 2 O) 6 , Al 2 (OH) 5 Cl, AlCl 3 O 9 , Al[CO(NH 2 ) 2 ] 6 SO 4 I 3 , Al 2 (SiF 6 ) 3 , MgAl 2 (SiO 4 ) 2 , Al(OH) 3 , aluminum diformate, aluminum diacetate, aluminum subacetate, Al 2 [C 10 H 5 (OH)(SO 3 ) 2 ] 3 , Al 2 (CO 3 ) 3 , AlPO 4 , Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 , NaAl(SO 4 ) 2 , NaAlO 2 , Al(NO 3 ) 3 , Al(OH) 2 (NO 3 ), Al(OH)(NO 3 ) 2 , and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 27  wherein said composition comprises a concentration of said soluble or suspendable aluminum compound sufficient to provide about 1% w/v or less of aluminum and at least about 50% of said aluminum is present as dissolved Al 3+ .  
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30  wherein said composition comprises a concentration of said soluble or suspendable aluminum compound sufficient to provide about 0.5% w/v or less of aluminum and at least about 50% of said aluminum is present as dissolved Al 3+ .  
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31  wherein said composition comprises a concentration of said soluble or suspendable aluminum compound sufficient to provide about 0.4% w/v of aluminum and substantially all of said aluminum is present as dissolved Al 3+ .  
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein said starch source is one of barley malt, oat malt, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         34 . A method of exterminating pests comprising the steps of providing a composition comprising an enzyme component, said enzyme component comprising a protease, and said enzyme component in an amount no greater than 1% by weight of the composition, a detergent support comprising a surfactant and a detergent builder, and a fermentation product of a starch source; and applying said composition to at least one pest.  
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34  wherein said surfactant comprises: a salts of C 8 -C 20  alcohol sulfates; salts of C 8 -C 20  fatty acids; alkylaryl polyethylene glycols; natural soaps or neat soaps; insecticidal soaps or antibacterial soaps; oil soaps or castile soaps; household or commercial cleaners or degreasers; oil-, extract-, or saponified oil-spiked soaps, wherein said oil-, extract- or saponified oil-spiked soaps comprises at least one of: an oil, saponified oil, or extract of citronella, pine, cedarwood, sandalwood, wormwood, lemon grass, lemon or other citrus, lavender, eucalyptus, sassafras, neem tree, balsam, niaouli, cajeput, clove, cubeb, thyme, garlic, wintergreen, peppermint or other mint. American wormseed, Levant wormseed,  Juniperus  spp., or  Chrysanthemum  spp., etc.  
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 35  wherein said oil, extract, or mixture thereof comprises at least one of: menthol, menthane, sobrerol, camphor, anethole, citronellol, rhodinol, or terpineol, or a mixture thereof.